Commentary

Marcus Garvey
February 13, 2026

Peter Espeut | Marcus Garvey, black history-maker

Much is publicly known about The Rt Hon Marcus Mosiah Garvey ONH (1887-1940) – Jamaica’s first National Hero, so in this article I will focus on what I think are not so well-known details of Garvey’s…
Kristen Gyles writes: Traffic congestion is not just a matter of personal inconvenience. It has a ripple effect on society in numerous ways.
February 13, 2026

Kristen Gyles | Public sector now leading the way

I think it would be fair to say the public sector now sets the standard. The public sector wage restructuring exercise which saw public sector salaries increasing by as much as 300 per cent in some…
February 12, 2026

Editorial | No joy in corruption index

If there is a positive take away for Jamaica from Transparency International (TI) latest Perception Corruption Perception Index (CPI), published this week, is that nothing has changed. Jamaica’s…
Presidential Council Chair Laurent Saint-Cyr speaks during a ceremony marking the end of the transitional council’s almost two-year rule, in Port-au-Prince, Saturday, February 7.
February 12, 2026

SSP Diaries | 2026 – another year of questions without suitable answers?

At the beginning of 2025 I examined several situations under the caption ‘2025 – Another year of questions without suitable answers.’ This article revisits the past and looks also at other incidents…
Dr Rohan Maharaj is a senior lecturer in family medicine and a fellow of the Caribbean College of Family Physicians. He is the alcohol policy advisor, The Healthy Caribbean Coalition. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com
February 12, 2026

Rohan Maharaj | Alcohol and the commercial determinants of health

‘He’s a real rum head, he doesn’t know when to stop.’ All too often, we blame others for their lack of self-control – for not stopping after “just one” alcoholic drink. Our medical models reinforce…
Janiel McEwan, economic consultant
February 12, 2026

Janiel McEwan | New taxes ahead: Jamaica faces fiscal reality after Hurricane Melissa

Hurricane Melissa did more than rip off roofs and flatten farms. It tore through the foundations of Jamaica’s public finances. The Independent Fiscal Commission’s January assessment places the damage…
Leroy Fearon, lecturer, multi-disciplinary researcher, author, geography specialist, and columnist
February 12, 2026

Leroy Fearon | Can Jamaicans really manage another tax increase?

The announcement from the Finance Ministry for the new financial year has once again placed taxation at the center of national conversation. For many Jamaicans already navigating rising food prices,…
Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade.
February 11, 2026

Editorial | Reviewing diplomacy

This week’s review by Jamaica’s overseas diplomats and domestic-based policymakers provides an opportunity for a fundamental reorientation of the island’s foreign policy and diplomacy to meet what…
Eric Falt, regional director of UNESCO for the Caribbean
February 11, 2026

Eric Falt | She builds, she discovers, she inspires

On February 11, as we celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the theme “From vision to impact: Redefining science and engineering by closing the gender gap” resonates deeply…